Don't Miss the Jan. 22 Fields Referendum, Says Resident

Jan. 22th is fast approaching.

Hopefully Parsippany voters will come out that day to vote on the Board of Education Athletic Field Improvement Referendum.

I have given great consideration to this referendum. From my involvement with the open space ordinance and the Fields of Dreams proposal I have studied and reviewed the positives and negatives on the improvements to the athletic fields at Parsippany High School and Parsippany Hills High School. 

I felt the mayor's plan to use township Open Space Trust Fund money to pay for school athletic improvements was wrong. The Open Space Trust Fund was originally designed to protect and preserve the few remaining open tracts of land from development and to save our town’s historic heritage.

The Board of Education and the township function independently from one another. This is in the best interest of the school-age children and the taxpayers of Parsippany. That is why I felt the Board of Education was right in rejecting the township’s proposal for a jointure regarding the Fields of Dreams.

The hows and whys of what caused the deterioration of the athletic fields have been discussed and debated for months. It would be useless to continue this course. A plan has been developed by the Board of Education. It must be bonded through referendum.

The improvements to the athletic fields are in the best interest of all who will use them and visit them. It is also in the best interest of the Parsippany taxpayers. Band-aid fixes to the fields will be a waste of money if the referendum is rejected. A permanent solution makes sense in the long term. The Jan. 22 referendum opens the door for this to happen.

Please weigh all the facts and make your choice to approve or reject this referendum. It is important to keep in mind the long-term benefit to the students and taxpayers of Parsippany. Be sure to vote on Jan. 22.

Mary Purzycki
Lake Parsippany